In general, it is known to provision telecommunication networks with priority services. For example, the Government Emergency Telecommunication Service (GETS) is employed in the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to provide priority service to NS/EP (National Security/Emergency Preparedness) personnel. Similarly, WPS (Wireless Priority Service) is employed in cellular or mobile telecommunication networks. Generally, the goal of priority service is to provide a higher probability and/or rate of call completion for selected calls. As is understood in the art, GETS and/or WPS calls receive priority handling as compared to ordinary calls (i.e., non-priority calls).
As can be appreciated, in times of emergency or crisis or otherwise, telecommunication networks can become congested by an unusually heavy call volume. Moreover, natural or other catastrophes may impair or damage network facilities thereby reducing the networks capacity to handle the increased call volume. The unusually high call volume and/or reduced network capacity tends to increase network congestion and limit the network's ability to complete ordinary calls. Services like GETS and WPS and other similar priority services supported by telecommunication networks are employed by users to obtain higher priority for completing calls utilizing these services as compared to ordinary calls.
In order to receive access to a priority service, a user generally subscribes to the particular service or otherwise registers to use the service. To use the service in connection with a particular call, the subscriber typically enters or otherwise submits a password, a user name or number or other ID and/or other authentication credentials at or near the time the call is placed. The submitted credentials are used by the network to verify that the user is in fact a subscriber to the priority service or is otherwise entitled to use the priority service. Provided the supplied credentials are valid, the call associated with the invoked priority service is given priority by the network over ordinary calls, e.g., for purposes of call completion. On the other hand, in one proposed approach, if the credentials are not valid, then the call is denied altogether. That is to say, no attempt is made within the network to complete the call. In this manner, an otherwise authorized user that erroneously enters their credentials or attempts to use expired credentials, e.g., to make a test call utilizing the priority service at a time when the network is operating normally or not congested, is made aware by the call failure that the submitted credentials are invalid. Accordingly, the problem can be addressed (e.g., the credentials can be renewed) before an actual crisis occurs in which the user would like to take advantage of the priority service. In this way, a user is not faced with the additional problem of having or using invalid credentials at the time of the crisis.
While generally acceptable, the foregoing approach has certain limitations. For example, a user accidentally entering or otherwise submitting invalid credentials may still desire that the network attempt to complete the call even though the attempt to invoke the priority service may have failed. However, if the call is in fact completed (e.g., because the network is not overly congested or otherwise has sufficient capacity to complete the call without priority handling), then the user may get the mistaken impression that their credentials are valid and/or were entered correctly. Such a wrong impression can present a problem the next time the user attempts to invoke the priority service and continues to mistakenly enter and/or use the invalid credentials, particularly if the network is now too congested to complete the call unless it receives priority handling.
Accordingly, a new and improved system and/or method for administering priority services in a telecommunications network is disclosed that overcomes the above-referenced problems and others.